Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.
American politician (1923–2005)

Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. (November 2, 1923 – February 13, 2005) was sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office of Alameda County, California from 1975 to 1979. He gained some notoriety as a tough sheriff in his dealings with Berkeley, California protestors in the 1960s. His policing style then, while serving under then-sheriff Frank Madigan, was described as "kick ass and take names" by Sheriff Charles Plummer (who was a field commander for the Berkeley Police Department when riots erupted in People's Park in 1969).
External links
O'Brien, Matt (February 16, 2005). "'Tough' veteran county sheriff dies at age 81". Oakland Tribune. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007 – via FindArticles.
The public source identifies “Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.” as american politician (1923–2005). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Thomas, Lafayette and Houchins.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.”, the useful work is to connect “american politician (1923–2005)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7791665. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1923, 2005, 1975 and 1979.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. primary sources, Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. archive and Thomas research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr.” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.